Courtesy of The Northstar Session Northstar Session's latest CD, "New Prehistoric Times," is available via CDBaby.com.

Music fans can perhaps double their fun if they dig both halves of Northstar Session. Two-fourths of the band will play tonight at the aptly named Experi-mental Café in Oxnard. The full group will open for one of the best local bands, Shades of Day, on Tuesday night at the Wildcat Lounge in Santa Barbara.

The Oxnard show will feature the songwriting and harmonizing duo of guitarist Matt Szlachetka and percussionist Kane McGee. Up the coast they will be ably supported by the noisy half, keyboard player Dave Basaraba and bass player Paris Patt.

Be it a two- or four-piece band, Northstar has that cool Americana pop rock vibe and is hawking its debut album, "New Prehistoric Times."

When not driving north to our beloved 805, Northstar survives in L.A. by playing music and even landing a few tunes on TV shows, including Discovery Channel's "Surgery Saved My Life" and PBS' "Roadtrip Nation."

The Experi-mental Café was once upon a time a Woolworth's, but is now a restaurant with all kinds of beer and live, original music most nights of the week.

Tonight's show features a bunch of original bands you've probably never heard — all for free. For everyone who whines about what the local scene lacks, this is it: a cool venue. Go there or shut up.

The two singers, Szlachetka and McGee, did nothing of the kind during a recent interview.

What's the latest in Northstar world; are you rich rock stars yet?

Szlachetka: Of course. We just kind of slum at these club gigs to keep us grounded.

Grounded is a good word — unknown to many musicians. What became of the rock 'n' roll dream compared with the rock 'n' roll reality?

Szlachetka: We're already making a living by playing music, but also by giving lessons and playing with other people on the side. But for me, the ultimate goal would be to make a living with Northstar Session full time, constantly touring, recording and writing. We've already had some of our songs placed in TV shows and music, but now it's time for the next step, where we're playing more out-of-state shows.

Almost every musician wants to know: How do you get your music in films?

McGee: Word of mouth, mostly. Once you get played on something, other companies hear it and say, "What was that song? Who was that band?" And then they contact us.

What's your take on "New Prehistoric Times," and how is it different from your EP?

Szlachetka: They're both pretty organic experiences, but the EP started out with me and Kane writing songs. The first song we wrote, "Hard to be Found," is in the middle of "New Prehistoric Times," so in a way the EP could be considered preproduction for the full album. It was just me and Kane in the studio, then we brought in a couple of additional players to help us out. So he and I had the songs and we came up with the arrangements on the fly.

McGee: The title for the album just popped into my head. At the time I was reading a book about the history of dinosaurs; somehow the title ties into our world today and the president and all that.

What do you think the music sounds like?

Szlachetka: Rootsy, organic, soulful. A lot of people have been saying it's kind of like The Beatles meets The Band — more than one singer, a lot of harmonies and obviously very roots-oriented.

There's also a little Deadhead groove in there.

McGee: Yeah, we have a little bit of that. We're both raised on traditional Americana, roots, blues, rock 'n' roll — stuff from the '60s and '70s.

How does a band make it in L.A.?

Szlachetka: L.A. is a huge melting pot of art. There are so many bands that you can get lost, so you just have to believe that your stuff is going to be heard and the good stuff always rises to the top. You can make it if you want to, but it's best to take it out of L.A. if possible.

What motivates a musician to work so hard for no guaranteed money?

McGee: For me, it's just pure love, man. It's in my blood — I think about music every day and night. Getting feedback from people and getting our music in movies helps as well. It all stems from a passion for music.